Consumer survey finds Thais and Indonesians in upbeat mood

Singapore

THE mood among Thai consumers is surprisingly encouraging despite various muted macro-economic indicators, according to the latest consumer survey launched by the Credit Suisse Research Institute, which looked at Thailand for the first time.

Specifically, 17 per cent of the respondents in Thailand said that they are expecting an improvement in personal finances in the next six months, and expect household income to increase over the next year.

In light of the expected rise in income, 63 per cent of respondents think it is an excellent/good time to make a major purchase. This optimism is also reflected in the fact that Thailand has the highest level of household car ownership (84 per cent) amon…